This week's top 5 cultural insights and e-commerce trends: 01 March 2019

Business · 3 min read

AOB: 01 March 2019

28 February 2019

What are the big stories in commerce? And what do they mean for your business? AOB helps you stay ahead of the curve – here are this week’s top five cultural insights and e-commerce trends from around the world.

Ukraine sees second fastest e-commerce growth in Europe

According to an EU regulatory advisory body, the Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO), Ukraine’s e-commerce market grew 31% on last year, putting it just behind Romania in terms of sector growth. This is despite the Ukraine's low internet penetration rate of only 58% (2017). Online advertising spend is also benefiting from the emerging e-commerce interest, increasing by 40% in 2018, to US$125m.

So, if you’re looking to expand your business overseas, Ukraine could be your next big opportunity. For more tips on taking your company global, read our guide.

Calls for clearer labeling on packaging

A greater awareness of the environment and the effects of climate change is leading consumers to search for new ways to live more sustainably. We all know the value of recycling, but this can be difficult when we don’t know what type of trash to separate into which can. That’s why Britons are calling for manufacturers to introduce clearer labeling on their packaging – with one in five consumers admitting to throwing non-recyclable plastics into the recycling because it was unclear if it could be recycled or not.

So, no matter what type of packaging your brand uses, ensure that each piece is clearly labeled to help your customers on their quest to be eco-friendly. Read our interactive article for more ways to enhance your packaging.

Houseplants delivered on demand

Following the increase in apartment living and resultant lack of backyard gardening space, the potted houseplant is now on the rise. And while traditionally these plants might be bought in garden centers, US customers can now use Bloomscape to get them delivered right to their doorstep. Naturally this concept calls for some innovative packaging to protect the plants while in transit – particularly when it comes to six-foot tall palm trees!

So, if you have some products that are only available in store due to potential shipping restrictions, now’s the time to look into how you can offer them online too. For further insights into last mile delivery, read our article.

The suit to speed up your calorie burn

In the fast-paced rat race that is 2019, we have more and more things to do and increasingly less time to do them. Anything that can optimize the effectiveness of an activity is certainly a welcome innovation, which is why Balanx have designed their Balanx EMS Training Suit. Using electronic muscle stimulation to target specific muscle groups during your everyday workout, the suit can make a 20-minute session as effective as an hour of normal training – freeing up your time to home cook a healthy meal, work on your side hustle or binge the latest Netflix series.

If your brand can capitalize on the efficiency trend, now’s the time to do it. Any services or products that can help consumers do more in less time are sure to be a big hit this year.

The importance of brand authenticity

A recent report by Stackla has shown that 90% of consumers in Australia, the UK and the US consider authenticity an important factor when weighing up their favorite brands. But there is a discrepancy between what brands and their consumers believe authentic content to be. While 92% of marketers think the content they are putting out is authentic, only 51% consumers agree. So, what is the authenticity that consumers are searching for? In fact, 58% of consumers see user-generated content (UGC) as the most authentic, and UGC is also the most persuasive type of content when making purchases. Interestingly, only 8% say that influencer-created content would highly impact their decision to buy – even lower than brand-led content at 12%.

To increase your business’s success in marketing, lean less on brand-led content pieces and ‘celebrity endorsements’, instead focusing on getting your consumers to share their own experiences with your brand online.